Turns out, there may be an awkward reason why he kept stopping the time -- Jeff Fisher said in his postgame press conference that he was asked to use them as well.

"Jack used his timeouts," Fisher said following the game. "So, [taking a knee] does me no good. Plus, my understanding is we needed some network timeouts, and that's why Jack used his timeouts. They came over and asked me to do it, but I said, 'I was hoping to get a first down and kneel on it.' And so, anyway."

“You can check with Jack. It didn't bother me at all. I believe that they asked them to use them. It's the first time I've heard of it,” Fisher said. “I just said I would have a hard time using them, because I'm ahead. Honestly, I have no issues with Jack or how he managed the end of that game. It's just what it was, and I don't think he would have an issue with me handing the ball off."

He's not the only one, either -- burning timeouts in a game as out of hand as that only serves a few people: the advertisers, ESPN (vis-a-vis the advertisers' happiness) and maybeJaguars players that need additional repetitions at the end of the game.

Considering that David Garrard was ruled out of the game with a concussion, and that the only backup to Trent Edwards was tight end Zach Miller, the last reason actually makes Del Rio's decision to stop the clock a little bit questionable, provided that ESPN did ask him to use his timeouts.

Not that I want to get all conspiracy theory on ESPN, much less question Del Rio's integrity (and besides, it is a competitive game of sport, and there's no law against stopping the clock or running up the score), but extending the game also extended the chance for an injury, even if it did curry favor with the network responsible for broadcasting the only professional football shown on Monday nights.

And if Fisher is correct here, and that's what happened, well, it wasn't just my win in fantasy football that ended awkwardly this week.

Update (1:32): As it turns out, Jeff Fisher was apparently JOKING about the network asking him to call timeouts at the end of the game. Which makes me feel like a jerk for calling out either ESPN or Jack Del Rio (sorry guys), but doesn't change the fact that I'm still supremely angry at Fisher for letting Johnson get over a 100 and find the end zone.

That's according to Doug Farrar, who contacted McCormick about the comments, and even though none of this conspiracy theory stuff happened, well, Del Rio still should have let the time run out, if only for the sake of not having to put Zach Miller under center.

CINCINNATI – For Bengals rookie long snapper Mike Windt, his entrance onto the practice fields Tuesday was the first time he’d worked out with his teammates in a month. He hadn’t been around for any of the team’s OTA practices, and for a free agent who’s competing with an established LS and an incumbent starter in Clark Harris, Windt’s absence couldn’t have been a comforting feeling for the rookie.

It wasn’t his fault, though.

Because the academic schedule of the college he attended, the University of Cincinnati, remains on the quarter system and since a rookie can’t practice with his new team until his class has gone through graduation ceremonies, Windt hadn’t been on the field since rookie camp in May.

“The quarter system screws us over,” Windt told me Tuesday after Cincinnati’s morning practice. “But I don’t feel I’m behind the team. I’m caught up with everything I need to learn. During rookie camp, (special teams coach Darrin Simmons) taught me everything I needed to learn that I’d miss at OTAs. The only day they had without me was the day I got back here on June 10. I feel right, but there are little details you’re rusty on when you don’t do it for a month.”

Windt doesn’t have the same luxury of former and current teammate, punter Kevin Huber. Last year, Huber – who also played at the University of Cincinnati and is now a second-year kicker for the Bengals – couldn’t start until late. The difference, though, is that Huber didn’t have any competition for the punter spot.

“Yeah, but competition brings out the best in everybody,” Windt said. “I’m happy that I’m competing. If I wasn’t competing, I’m not saying I wouldn’t put my 100 percent out. But when you’re competing, you’re putting out 120 percent instead of 100.”

Since he couldn’t practice, Butler spent his time studying the playbook in order to keep his mind fresh.

“My guys have been down here working hard and it’s been killing me that I haven’t been able to work with them,” Butler was quoted as saying on the blog, Chargers Gab . “The biggest thing is, you’ve got to open your eyes and ears more at this level, because if you don’t hear something, you’re going to be a step behind and then you’re out of the play.”

Blount, meanwhile, simply tried to keep himself in the best physical shape as possible.

“I know I’m further behind,’’ Blount told the Tennessean . “I was just hoping to be in good enough shape to at least maintain the first few days, and I am. The only thing is that the sun drains the energy quick.”

Although it might seem like Windt would have fallen behind the more-experienced Harris, that’s not how he’s approaching the rest of mini-camp.

“I don’t think there’s an advantage or a disadvantage,” he said. “I learned the same stuff he’s learned. It was just a different timeline. When I learned it, he wasn’t here. When he learned it, I wasn’t there. Now, it’s just play football. Snap the damn ball and see what you’ve got in you.”